Decorative liquid soap container

ABSTRACT

The Decorative Liquid Soap Container (DLSC) is a storage enclosure for disposable liquid soap units and hand sanitizer units. The disposable liquid soap or hand sanitizer unit fits in inside of the Decorative Liquid Soap Container (DLSC) and a hole in the lid of the DLSC will fit over the pumping device of the disposable liquid soap or hand sanitizer unit. The DLSC could be designed to match items in any bathroom accessory set, such as a tissue box holder, cotton ball jar, and trash can. Storing the disposable liquid soap unit inside the DLSC eliminates the need to manually pour soap into a dispenser. The DLSC also provides decorative storage for dish soap units.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATION DATA

This application claims priority of Provisional Application No. 61/003,121, filed Nov. 15, 2007 and Provisional Application No. 61/459,095, filed Dec. 8, 2010; and is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/291,938, filed Nov. 17, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative containers for liquid soap. More specifically, the present invention relates to decorative containers having a base member, side walls, and a cooperating lid that fits onto an upper portion of the side walls, wherein a bottle of liquid soap may be inserted into the decorative container.

Heretofore, other types of decorative containers have been devised for many different products. U.S. Pat. No. 1,934,686 is directed to a metallic receptacle that may be made by stamping sheet metal, and then assembled and interlocked together to provide a rigid structure. U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,577 discloses a plastic lined metallic liquid soap dispenser consisting of a hollow metallic bottle having a threaded neck and a plurality of separate metallic parts such as a bottom. This metallic liquid soap dispenser also includes a discrete plastic insert disposed within the hollow of the bottle for isolating the metallic bottle from the liquid soap stored within the dispenser to preclude a chemical reaction and/or contamination thereof if the metallic bottle is in intimate contact with the liquid soap or the like. This apparatus further includes a hand pump and threaded closure means for attaching the closure and pump to the bottle.

However, none of the prior art includes a container having a lid that may be opened or removed so that a bottle of liquid soap with a hand pump may be inserted into the container, and wherein the lid may be reattached to the container with an orifice to accommodate the hand pump. This arrangement allows a user to simply purchase any desired bottle of liquid soap having its own pump, and to place the bottle into the decorative container, while maintaining the operative capability of the bottle of liquid soap and the hand pump.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the Decorative Liquid Soap Container (DLSC) is a home or office decorative enclosure for disposable liquid soap units and hand sanitizer units. It provides decorative housing for these disposable units. The DLSC will allow its user to place any size disposable liquid soap or sanitizer unit inside of the storage container. The DLSC can be designed to match items in any bathroom accessory set such as a tissue box holder, cotton ball jar, and trash can. It may have a variety of colors, decorative or stylish elements. This invention eliminates time consuming and messy pouring of liquid soap into a dispenser by providing an easier, no pour method of coordinating liquid soap with bathroom accessory sets. It also provides a decorative container for housing hand sanitizer.

The Decorative Liquid Soap Container allows a user to place any disposable liquid soap or hand sanitizer unit inside of a decorative storage container that can match a bathroom accessory set. This arrangement eliminates the need for pouring liquid soap into a decorative dispenser and provides decorative housing for hand sanitizer units. It also provides an easier, no pour method of coordinating liquid soap with bathroom accessories and a means of having hand sanitizer units displayed in a visually pleasing manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view showing one embodiment of a decorative liquid soap container together with a lid defining a hole in a central portion thereof;

FIG. 2 is a top view of one embodiment of a decorative liquid soap container;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the rear portion of one embodiment of a decorative liquid soap container having means for hanging the container on a wall or the like;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a decorative liquid soap container, wherein a bottle of liquid soap or gel is disposed within the container and a hand pump extends through a hole in the lid thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a decorative liquid soap container, wherein a bottle of liquid soap or gel is disposed within the container and a hand pump extends through a hole in the lid thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes, in a first embodiment, a decorative liquid soap container 10 (DLSC), including a base member 12, side walls 14 and a lid 16 defining a hole 18 therein, wherein the lid 16 cooperates with the upper portions of the side walls 14 so that it may be removed while a bottle of liquid soap 20 is inserted into the container 10, and the lid 16 may be placed back onto the container 10. Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a Decorative Liquid Soap Dispenser (DLSC) 10 is provided in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the invention. This invention includes a decorative storage container for disposable liquid soap dispenser and hand sanitizer units. It is used by placing the disposable liquid soap or hand sanitizer unit 20 inside of the DLSC 10 (FIGS. 3 and 5) and placing the hole 18 in the lid 16 over the top of the pump 22 of the disposable bottle 20. The user may pump soap or hand sanitizer using the disposable unit 20 that is housed in the DLSC 10.

The best mode for making the DLSC10 may be dependent upon the bathroom accessory set that it will match. Suitable materials that may be utilized for manufacturing the DLSC include, but are not limited to: resin, plastic, chrome, glass, onyx, stone, ceramic, wood, and metals such as brass, silver, and steel. The preferred method for making this apparatus will likely be injection molding due to the high utilization of resin in bathroom accessories and the need for mass production.

The injection molding process utilizes resin, usually in pellet or granule form. Resin is fed to the injection molding machine through a hopper. Colorants are usually fed to the machine directly after the hopper. The resins enter the injection barrel by gravity through the feed throat. Upon entrance into the barrel, the resin is heated to the appropriate melting temperature before being injected into the mold. After the injection process, the mold is then closed shut and the heated material solidifies. The process is completed when the mold opens and the new shape is ejected.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the DSLC 10 may include a monolithically formed container comprising base and side members. The size and shape of the container 10 may be formed as desired, so long as a bottle or container of liquid hand soap or hand sanitizer 20 may be inserted therein. A lid member 16 is formed into a shape and size that cooperates with the upper edges of the container 10, so that the lid 16 may be secured thereon via frictional engagement, snap-fit, or the like. The lid member 16 includes a hole 18, through which the hand pump 22 may extend when the bottle of hand soap or sanitizer 20 is disposed within the container 10. It is contemplated that the lid 16 may be removable, or may include a hinge or other device (not shown) that maintains a connection between the lid 16 and the container 10, while allowing the lid 16 to fit over the top of the container 10 as described herein. The hole 18 in the lid 16 may be centrally located, or may be offset, depending upon the size and shape of the bottle 20 to be inserted within the DLSC 10, and further depending upon the location of the hand pump 22 or dispensing mechanism thereof. It is also contemplated that one side of the DLSC may have holes, slots 24 or the like for mounting the DLSC 10 to a wall or other vertical support, as shown in FIG. 4. Nails, screws, tacks or the like may be inserted through these holes or slots 24 and into a wall or vertical support, in order to attach the DLSC 10 thereto.

In another aspect of the present invention, it is contemplated that the DLSC 10 may be customized by incorporating custom designs or creative works onto the outer sides 14 and lid 16. Such custom designs may include photographs, drawings, children's artwork, or any other desirable creative graphic designs. Additionally, the DLSC 10 may be incorporated into a decorating theme within a bathroom, for instance, so that it matches other accessories in the bathroom, such as towel racks, wall fixtures, toilet paper holders, tissue boxes, toothbrush holders or racks, and the like.

Further, the DLSC 10 may be used in conjunction with other types of bottles that do not include hand pumps, such as bottles of dish soap. These types of products are dispensed when a user squeezes the sides of the bottle, thus forcing the liquid or gel out through the dispenser. Thus, the sides of the DLSC 10 may be formed from material that is rigid enough to hold its form when no pressure is applied, but flexible enough so that the user may squeeze the sides 14 if the DLSC 10 is used to house squeezable items, such as dish soap.

In another aspect of the present invention, the DLSC may include side members 14 and a top portion 16 defining a hole therein, wherein the sides and top portion are monolithically formed, so that the top 16 is not removable from the sides 14. In this embodiment, the DLSC may have an open base section, so that the DLSC 10 may slide over the top of a liquid soap container 20, allowing that the pump or dispenser 22 to protrude through a hole 18 in the top 16. Optionally, a removable base member (not shown) may be attached to a bottom of the side members 14. Alternatively, the bottom of the DLSC may remain open, with no base.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the DLSC may include a base member 12, side members 14 and a top portion 16, further including a removable, hinged, or otherwise cooperating side member (not shown) that may be opened in order to insert a liquid soap container 20. In this embodiment, only the cooperating side member is formed separately from the rest of the DLSC, which may be of monolithic or singular design.

Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. All features disclosed in this specification may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 

1. A decorative liquid soap container comprising: a base member; side members attached to said base member, said side members forming an enclosure about said base member with an opening adjacent a top portion of said side members; and a lid defining a hole therein, wherein said lid cooperates with said top portion of said side members so that said lid fits onto said top portion of said side members; whereby, said lid may be opened so that a container of a liquid or gel material may be inserted within said enclosure formed by said base member and said side members, and wherein said lid may be attached to said side members while said container of liquid or gel material is disposed therein, and wherein a dispenser attached to said container of liquid or gel material extends through said hole in said lid.
 2. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, wherein said side members form a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, square, rectangle, pentagon, or an octagon.
 3. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, wherein said side members are formed from a material that is rigid enough to maintain its shape when no pressure is applied, but is flexible enough to allow a user to deform the side members inwardly by squeezing.
 4. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, further including customized graphic designs disposed on an outer portion of said side members.
 5. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, wherein said lid is adapted to snap fit onto said top portion of said side members.
 6. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, further including means for attaching said liquid soap container to a wall or vertical support.
 7. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 6, wherein said means for attaching said liquid soap container to a wall or vertical support include holes or slots.
 8. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 1, wherein said decorative liquid soap container is made from materials selected from the group consisting of: resin, plastic, chrome, glass, onyx, stone, ceramic, wood, metals, brass, silver, and steel, or some combination thereof.
 9. A decorative liquid soap container comprising: a base member; side members attached to said base member, said side members forming an enclosure about said base member with an opening adjacent a top portion of said side members; and a top member defining a hole therein, wherein said top member is attached to said top portion of said side members; whereby, at least one of said side members may be opened so that a container of a liquid or gel material may be inserted within said enclosure formed by said base member, said top member and said side members, and wherein said one of said side members may be attached to said other side members while said container of liquid or gel material is disposed therein, and wherein a dispenser attached to said container of liquid or gel material extends through said hole in said top member.
 10. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 9, further including means for attaching said liquid soap container to a wall or vertical support.
 11. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 10, wherein said means for attaching said liquid soap container to a wall or vertical support include holes or slots.
 12. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 9, wherein said decorative liquid soap container is made from materials selected from the group consisting of: resin, plastic, chrome, glass, onyx, stone, ceramic, wood, metals, brass, silver, and steel, or some combination thereof.
 13. A decorative liquid soap container comprising: a top member defining a hole therein; side members forming an enclosure about said top member with an opening adjacent a bottom portion of said side members; whereby, said opening adjacent said bottom portion of said side members may receive a liquid soap or gel container so that a container of a liquid or gel material may be inserted within said enclosure formed by said top member and said side members and may be disposed therein, and wherein a dispenser attached to said container of liquid or gel material extends through said hole in said top member.
 14. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 13, further including a base member attached to a bottom portion of said side members.
 15. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 14, wherein said base member is removably attached to said bottom portion of said side members.
 16. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 14, wherein said base member is hingedly attached to said bottom portion of said side members, so that said base member may be opened to allow access to the enclosure formed by said top member, said side members and said base member.
 17. The decorative liquid soap container set forth in claim 13, wherein said decorative liquid soap container is made from materials selected from the group consisting of: resin, plastic, chrome, glass, onyx, stone, ceramic, wood, metals, brass, silver, and steel, or some combination thereof. 